Katy Perry Has Been Banned From China Ahead Of The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Katy Perry has just learned the hard way that showing support for one group of people can have some seriously negative consequences from another down the road.

The singer signed on to perform at the upcoming Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show weeks ago, but unfortunately it looks like she’s not going to make it. This year, the annual staging (which pairs the lingerie brand’s top models with the biggest musicians on the planet) is set to take place in China for the first time. Though things aren’t going as well as the company—and many of those who were ready to star in the show—had hoped.

Just days before the actual runway show, Chinese officials have banned Perry, or “Fruit Sister” as she’s known in the world’s most populous nation, from entering the country due to her support of Taiwan at a concert two years ago in Taipei. At the last minute, former One Direction singer and current Mick Jagger impersonator Harry Styles has stepped in to take over musical responsibilities.

Back in 2015, Perry donned a dress featuring several sunflowers, and while that might not sound too out of the ordinary for the “Bon Appétit” singer, who is known for her over-the-top fashion choices, those flowers actually had a political connotation. At the time, sunflowers had been adopted by those who believe that Taiwan should be independent of mainland China as a symbol of their movement.

As if her dress wasn’t enough of a sign of support for the Taiwanese people’s cause, the pop star later wore the territory's flag as a cape during the same concert, and that was apparently a bridge too far for those in the Chinese government. In addition to Perry, a number of the models who were set to walk the runway in little to nothing have also been denied entry into China for various reasons. Victoria’s Secret will now need to find replacements for Julia Belyakova, Kate Grigorieva, Irina Sharipova, and even Gigi Hadid, who are all going to miss the fun.

Remember rocker Katy Perry? Check out a Fuse interview with the singer from the early days of her career below!